Game Week Interviews: CJ Mims & Benjamin Hall

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina is two days out from its maiden voyage to face one of its new West Coast ACC counterparts in the Cal Golden Bears. As preparations for Friday night continued Wednesday back in Chapel Hill, junior defensive lineman CJ Mims and redshirt sophomore running back Benjamin Hall met with reporters to discuss the matchup, as well as other questions surrounding the program.

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Watch the complete interviews and read some noteworthy excerpts from their comments.

CJ Mims

When asked about the team’s morale:

“We’re still strong. I feel like we’re excited to really move on to our next game and show that we’ve been working towards the corrections that were needed from the past game. We’re still a unit, we’re still all as one, the team chemistry and bond is still strong…

When asked about who have been some of the team’s vocal leaders:

“I would say other than me, Khmori House, our star linebacker, and Jordan Shipp, and a couple other players on the team who we consider as captains–who are really vocal and are trying to keep us, as a unit, close together and strong throughout the season with everything that’s going on…”

When asked about why he chose to commit to Belichick and Lombardi:

“One of the biggest things that I talked about when I was talking with Coach Belichick was how I would be developed here and what the things I would learn (were). Everything that we talked about I feel like has happened, I feel like I’ve developed on and off the field. I’ve developed not just physically, but mentally, and my IQ into the game. It’s been a minute, so I don’t remember much from my talk with Coach Lombardi, but it was a good talk that also really helped me get here. He was a good guy, straightforward, and we had a great conversation.”

Benjamin Hall

When asked about Caleb Hood’s departure:

“Caleb was always just a real positive force on the team, always upbeat, and just had a real love for the game and love for the guys, and so I was blessed to spend time with him. Always going to be a Tar Heel. And you know, we miss him for sure…”

When asked about if anything has changed within the program:

“Guys just picking up the urgency. We’ve got a lot of new people in new positions on this football team. It’s a process to try to get better each and every day, and I think we’re doing that. We’re on the right track, and so it’s only a matter of time before everything unfolds the way we’d like it to…”

When asked about the offense’s struggles:

“We think it’s only a matter of time. We’re getting better every day. The energy is picking up, the guys are gelling. And I wouldn’t say that we’re worried about the result as much as we are just showing up every day and being the best that we can be, because at the end of the day, that’s all you can do.”